Children's Rooms Need Organizing Too!

Welcome to the fifth installment of the organization series on Miss Priss!

Do you ever feel like your child's room is a total disaster and you don't know where to start?

I'm here to help you get a start (and hopefully a complete hold) on that mess with a few organization tips for your kid's room.

First let me reinstate how much I LOVE shelves! These can be used for any number of things, especially kids toys and books.

Basic organization:

*Be sure the child has enough space in their dresser for season appropriate clothing- if you have crammed both summer and winter clothing into the same dresser the odds of the drawers closing all the way are very slim and will cause a big mess.

*Hang non-season appropriate clothing in the closet or store them in a bin or air tight bag in the child's closet to keep it up out of the way

*A toy box is a great easy way to keep a few toys out of the floor

Detailed organization tips:

*Invest in a shelving unit to place in the child's room. (For safety purposes secure this to the wall)

*Where ever you purchase the shelves from invest in the shelving bins that are usually in the same aisle.

*Under bed storage containers are fantastic as well.

*When placing bins on the shelf keep in mind what you will be placing in them. The bins that will contain the heavier items need to be placed on the bottom shelf so the child can access it easily without hurting themselves. 

*Depending upon your child's book collection be sure to leave at least one shelf (or cube) available for books.

*Under bed storage should be used for the toy(s) that the child has too many of to fit into a smaller shelf bin.

((For example; my daughter has a TON of Barbie's with accessories and a couch, these are in an under bed bin))

*Keep "like" toys together. Cars with trucks, dolls with doll accessories, trains with tracks, etc.

*If your child has a lot of stuffed animals that he or she DOESN'T play with then purchase a corner toy net and hang them in the child's room up out of the floor and allowing more room for play and less chance of a mess.(Or donate these to charity!)

*If you child has a lot of stuffed animals that he or she DOES play with then I recommend investing in a toy hamper. You can purchase just a pop up net clothes hamper and allow the child to store the stuffed animals in that in their bedroom.

Closet Organization:

*Bins or air tight bags for non-season appropriate clothing if you do not have room to hang them up.

*Same or similar style hangers for clothing that is hung up.

*Have a small storage bin or area for shoes that are not being worn, the child or you can easily access this when they are needed and they are out of the child's floor helping with the clutter.

BIGGEST ORGANIZATION TIP:

*If it is either: a) Missing Pieces, b) Broken, or c) No longer age appropriate ----> GET IT OUT OF THE ROOM! You can choose to donate these toys or clothes, trash them, or try to fix them, but they need to be out of the room either way. They serve no purpose but to be in the way of both the child and you.

Work at it long and hard and your child's room could possibly look like this one day....

HA! Wishful thinking right? I'm STILL waiting on my kids rooms to look like this!

I hope this helps you get on the right foot to organizing your child's bedroom. Send us pictures to let us see how you've done!

Good Luck and check back for more tips on organizing your home!

-SC

Organizing Entertainment

This topic sounds a bit odd to be listed as our fourth installment of  the organizing series but the completely unorganized person has to start from somewhere! 

You can find the first three installments about regular cleaning schedules, deep cleaning, and office organization at the links provided. 

When I first began to live on my own I didn't know where to begin, over time I realized that organization was going to be my friend and I needed to accept it without any more delay. So I began with the cleaning schedules, and the office space, the next thing that "had" to be fixed was my "entertainment" spaces. 

These spaces typically are the entertainment center or television area and where ever it is that you may keep your games.

Let me start with the games area first. 

This was a big task for me since I had the Princess by this point- her games and mine had been mixed together and typically were thrown on a book shelf and praying that we could find what we were looking for when we wanted it.

So I started with a fresh slate, I bought a shorter bookshelf specifically for the games from Wal-Mart for less than $30 that fit perfectly in our living room without being gawky or in the way. On the bottom shelf I placed small plastic bins that I had purchased from Dollar Tree. The shelf was wide enough that I placed 5 side by side neatly (even matched the colors ha!). Once I was ready I placed small games of my daughters in them. This was things like "Go Fish" "Old Maid" "Memory" and even alphabet flash cards. These were at her disposal for whenever she wanted a quick game.

The next shelf was also a few games of hers, in her reach of course "Chutes and Ladders" "Hi-Ho Cheery-O" and a few other odd and end board games as well as a few coloring books and a small box of crayons. Also on this shelf I placed a few games that were actually mine that she liked to play with like "Jenga" and "Sorry."

On the top shelf I had placed games that she was not allowed to play due to the small pieces involved or the fact she wasn't quite old enough to understand, like "Monopoly" and a small plastic bin for my card games that she couldn't play just yet. She knew the top shelf was off limits and that was mommy's space.

Having the games stacked neatly on the shelves where the names could be read and I could see what game she had out made it a lot easier to keep up with these items and be sure they made it back to the right place. She still to this day (5ish) years later still has some of these games to play with.

Now on to the entertainment center!

To this day this is the only place I actually look at on a daily basis- guaranteed! Here's my big question to you though- how do you have your DVD's organized? I love hearing some people's responses! Alphabetized, how often we watch them, genre, year of release... the options are endless! Personally I have mine in 2 different organization options. 

First, my VHS's (don't lie you know you still have some!) are all tucked away hidden in a cabinet at the bottom of the entertainment center, within those they are split between "Disney" and "Non-Disney" because let's face it I was still a kid when DVD's were coming out and I mostly owned Disney and a few comedy VHS's. Within each category they are in alphabetical order. This makes it easier for my kids to find something they are looking for, if we don't have the DVD version.

My DVD's are actually out and on each side of my TV on the shelving units. I love shelves but if you do not have these available to you then invest in some that hang up on either side of the TV. On one side of my TV I have **MY** movies, the ones that the kids are not allowed to touch, these consist of only THE best movie genre EVER- horror! Within those they are alphabetized. I have everything from "Christine" to "Saw 6" and everything in between. The kids are not allowed to mess with these and to be sure of it- they are placed up out of reach on a higher shelf. Also on the shelf directly under my horror movies are my romance movies, a few Nicholas Sparks movies and yet another section my kids cannot watch. LOL.

The rest of the movies are split up into "Kids" "Comedies" and "Historical" because I'm a weirdo and love history and documentaries. Hate on me for it- go ahead- :LOL!

Extra Tips:

*To have a more conformed look use storage bins that match in color shape and size anywhere possible.

*Tag your plug ins before putting them in a surge protector so you know later what goes to what.

*At your discretion put children's movies in their reach- you can also chose to have these away from their reach as well.

*Video Games can also be placed in bins or on shelves in their own category.

*When placing coloring books and crayons in a space use bins for extra organization.

I have a ton of shelves on my entertainment center and no where near that many movies so let me school you on what to put on those extra shelves. 

*DO NOT overload them with pictures of your family- have one or two but do not overdo it because you will catch yourself wanting to stare at pictures rather than whatever you are watching.

*DO add a little piece of yourself to the shelves- pick something you are passionate and place pieces of whatever it is around the shelves. For example: my husband and I are VERY passionate about University of Kentucky Men's Basketball (yes yes I know- more hate coming my way!) so on a couple of our shelves are things that we have picked up over the past couple of years. Such as; Sports Illustrated "National Champions" magazine, autographed Coach Calipari picture, a build-a-bear in a basketball uniform, two mini basketballs... okay it might be an obsession but you know what I mean. 

*DO have books. If you have the extra shelf space add a few magazines or books to one for your guests to flip through at a party or just for appearance. 

Stay tuned for more organizing tips- next we'll attack the dreaded kids bedrooms! (AAAAHHHHH!!!)

-SC

Organize That Paperwork!

Hello All! 

After letting you have a sneak peak into my weekly and monthly cleaning schedules I think it's time we tackle the stuff most people struggle with next- that unsightly paperwork!

Whether you have an office space actually at a place of business, or a home office- at some point you have struggled with this problem. I know that my husband sure does!

I have ways to help you get that mess to look a little more contained.

Step 1: Bulletin Boards!

*If you don't have a lot of money to invest in a large bulletin board then go to your local crafts store (I have a Michael's and a Hobby Lobby near me) and purchase 8x10 cork board pieces and 8x10 picture frames. As many as you want or can afford.

*Place the board inside the picture frame without the glass and hang it near your desk area. Pin those post it notes or business cards to the board to prevent your desk or computer monitor from looking like a junk pile. This will help you keep track of the "need to haves" and make it much easier for you to find it quickly. ((This also works if you hang it up next to a calender that the family uses to remember appointments or practices.))

Step 2: Shelves!

*If your desk has the traditional 3-4 drawers but no shelf space this can cause problems because you are trying to keep all of your books or folders on top of the desk for easy access. Invest in a small shelving unit.

*Once you have the shelves where you need them be sure to keep that organized. There are many ways to do that but for me it's easier to do the top shelf as the items that I need the most, each shelf down is something a little less important until you reach the bottom shelf. 

*Keep small baskets on the shelves to help you keep smaller things together such as envelopes or CD's.

Step 3: File Container!

*My desk does not have the drawers on it, I have shelves on one side and a small tiny drawer on the other. I went to Walmart and spent less than $10 on a thick plastic folder container with a handle. This holds up to 40 files depending on how much is in them it does not hold that much. 

*Label your folders as clearly as possible so that if someone else needed to find something for you it can easily be done without having to search the other folders.

*Examples of clear labeling: "Bank Statements 2012" "Electric Utility Bills 2012" "Birth Certificates/SS#" "Tax Forms" "Insurance Policy Info." etc.

*Keep your tax forms all together in order of the year they were filed.

*Keep all birth certificates and social security cards together in a separate folder.

*Insurance forms are a must, whether it be homeowners, flood protection, or car insurance- keep these records in their own folder- clearly labeled!

*It's typically a good idea to save a years worth of utility bills with the receipt (or receipt number) attached to it as well. Keep these separate in another file but in order of when you received them.

*In a state of emergency you will know that you can grab the important files such as insurance papers and birth certificates.

Step 4: Small Item Basket!

*If your desk has a small middle drawer you can probably skip this tip because yours is built in (usually).

*Dollar stores all around the country have small baskets that will slide right inside any small drawer. I prefer to keep little items like thumb tacks, rubber bands, or pens in these. These are all things my children should not mess with and I keep it out of their reach because of that reason. If these are closed up in a small drawer out of their sight you should be fine as well.

*You can choose to have a cup for pens but in a small basket place your highlighters and markers. This keeps them separate from your pens and less likely for your child to try to get their hands on them. Another out of sight out of mind type of thing.

I sincerely hope these 4 steps help get you on the right track to organizing your office area. Best of luck! 

Stick around this week for more organizing tips from Miss Priss!

-SC

Organize the "Deep" Cleaning

To go along with the previous post about having a good cleaning schedule to keep your home organized- I was asked about the bigger cleaning things that I did not address in that post. Such as cleaning light fixtures or door frames.

I'm happy to set the record straight and let you have a little insight into my cleaning routines. 

Going off of my weekly routine (which you can find HERE) I also have a monthly schedule for the odd things that not many people do on a regular basis. 

 

*Usually at the beginning of each month I take down my light fixture covers and soak them while I take a windex dampened rag and wipe off the light bulbs themselves. This helps keep a room bright and less dingy looking. 

*2 times per month (basically every other week) I will take a rag and spray with with some form of furniture polish and will wipe down the door frames in the home. I will take a separate rag and wipe down the tops of the frames where most of the dust sits.

*Ceiling fans get wiped down every other week as well.

*Baseboards at my house should probably get cleaned more often but I'm a busy woman! LOL These get a good scrub down once, sometimes twice, a month. This means the entire house- not just the common rooms.

*If the weather is warmer and allows it to be done, my outside windows get cleaned 2 times a month. During the winter months or when it's rainy here in Kentucky they might get done once a month.

*Trash cans are so gross- and many people ignore them- but at my home they get scrubbed inside and out two times a month (unless it needs it more often for whatever reason)

*My washer, dryer and dish washer all get cleaned on the inside at least twice a month. I will run a hot full cycle of bleach water through the washer while I'm taking a bleach spray solution to the interior of the dryer. Once these are completed then I run my dish washer in the hot pots and pans cycle usually after I've sprayed a little bleach solution on the interior. 

*My oven (Thank God!) has a self cleaning option that I do take advantage of twice a month. It smells awful while it's running but in the end my oven comes out looking new!

*My stove burners get cleaned twice a month as well, unless something gets spilled on them horribly in that time frame.

Side note- for those hard stuck on spots on your stove burners or oven racks:

1-remove the burners and racks from their places

2-run hot water in the bath tub

3-place dryer sheets along the top of the water

4-place burners or racks on top of those dryer sheets

5-wait 4-6 hours and remove and scrub with a sponge if needed 

6-replace the burners and racks to the rightful spot

OR

1-remove the burners and racks from the oven or stove

2-soak in white vinegar for 2-3 hours

3-scrub with a sponge

4- wash with warm soapy water

5-dry thoroughly

6-replace the burners and racks to the rightful spot.

SPRING CLEANING
If you get on top of your cleaning with a set schedule then when it comes time for "Spring Cleaning" you really won't have as much to do. The worst part of my "Spring Cleaning" is that I do it twice a year, Spring and Fall, and it's always the closets! All of the clothing is gone through, toys are set aside that are broken or not age appropriate any longer, shoes get tossed if needed, etc. Everything comes out, I wipe down the closet walls and vacuum the area that is there then I replace, as neatly as possible, the items that are staying. I usually make a big "yard sale" pile or "Goodwill" pile. My Spring Cleaning lasts no longer than a weekend and I'm confident that in that time I have hit every closet in the house.

I hope that this peek into my OCD home helps get you started on the right foot. 

Keep your eyes out for more organization tips from Miss Priss!

-SC

Cleaning Organization

Hello Loves! Let me first start by saying we have a new writer on the blog named Heather! Be nice to her y'all, she's super sweet and she coupons! She can give you great tips on how to get free or extremely reduced items at your local stores.

Moving forward now- we had a request! I love filling requests from the readers- this one in particular ran right up my alley.

Organization!

I plan on breaking up this particular subject over a few different posts. But for me basic organization starts with a good cleaning schedule. It's hard to stay organized if you can't keep a clean home. A messy home means a messy start.

I must admit that before a birthday party or gathering at my home of any form I do spend the day before cleaning everything that will be seen; kitchen, bathroom, living room, sweeping the back porch, vacuuming the hallways, and kids rooms if children will be there for the gathering. I think everyone does that though, right? 

On a regular week however I have a basic cleaning schedule. At times it's hard to stick to but I make it work anyway. I have small children at home so there is a few things that gets done daily such as vacuuming the more "common" places like the living room and the hallways. Anywho- here's a basic look at what my schedule entails.

Sunday:

ALL bedsheets in the laundry

Kitchen (counter tops, sweep, mop)

Dining Room (clear all junk off table, wash the table, sweep and mop)

Vacuum "common" areas

Monday:

1 load of laundry

Bathroom (sink, toilet, shower, sweep, mop and mirrors)

Vacuum "common" areas

Gather all trash (garbage runs for us on Tuesday morning)

Tuesday:

1 load of laundry (if needed)

Living Room (dust, vacuum and windows)

Vacuum Hallway

Wednesday:

Kids rooms (dust and vacuum)

My room (dust and vacuum)

Thursday:

1 load of laundry (if needed)

Laundry Room (wipe off washer/dryer, sweep and mop)

Gather all trash

Friday:

(This is my hectic day- keep it simple!)

Vacuum "common" areas

Sweep back porch (if needed)

Saturday:

(This is my "in place" day- if it doesn't go where it's laying then it gets put in a basket and moved to its rightful spot)

Laundry

"In place" pickup through every room of the home.

 If you stick to a basic schedule then you will eventually get so good at the routine that you can "clean" on a daily basis for less than 45 minutes- lately I've been hitting right about 30 minutes; except laundry of course that takes longer.

Keeping things in their rightful spot or room will help with a good cleaning schedule. For example we are currently working with my kids about not playing in the living room. That's what the backyard and their bedrooms are for- plus it make sit easier for them to find the toy they are looking for if they don't have to search the entire house for it. 

I hope you found this to be helpful to get you on the right track with your own organization.

Keep an eye out for more helpful organization tips!

-SC